The Report of the Iraq Inquiry

698. Sir David described Mr Blair’s objectives at Crawford as:

“I think it was to find out where Bush was going [on Iraq] … What did Bush really

think and what were Bush’s intentions […]

“… he said to me afterwards … Bush is interested in going the international route

and he’s not simply going to become – I can’t remember his wording – the creature

of the American right or something like this.”

“He came away … reassured that it was quite possible to persuade Bush to use the

international system, rather than to bypass it.”267

699. Sir David Manning did not believe that in April and May 2002 Mr Blair:

“… made his mind up he was going to send troops. I think he was always ready to

do it, but he always hoped he wouldn’t have to … I certainly didn’t feel [Crawford]

was a moment of decision, no.”268

700. Sir David added that the discussion at Crawford had been “evolutionary” but it had

“crystallised the sense that we had that American thinking had gone up a gear”.

701. Sir David stated:

“But I think the reality, as far as the … international politics were concerned, that

the Americans were focused on Iraq, and the issue was how we were going to

manage this.”269

702. Asked where the UK emphasis was on the policy options when he joined No.10 in

February 2002, Mr Matthew Rycroft, one of Mr Blair’s two Private Secretaries for Foreign

Affairs, told the Inquiry:

“From my recollection by the time I joined Downing Street the British Government

had essentially decided that continued containment was not going to work … we

were on a track of … dealing with Iraq’s WMD … what dealing meant was to be

determined by the policy over the coming months.”270

703. Mr Rycroft told the Inquiry:

“Undoubtedly the thought was in the Prime Minister’s mind that if at the end of this

we were going to go down the military intervention route, then … the aftermath

would be many years.”271

267 Private hearing, 24 June 2010, pages 37-38.

268 Private hearing, 24 June 2010, page 39.

269 Private hearing, 24 June 2010, page 66.

270 Private hearing, 10 September 2010, page 3.

271 Private hearing, 10 September 2010, page 12.

516